The title of my message today is the “The Healing and Restoration of the Leper”. It looks at Jesus’ amazing interaction with a Leper who approached Him and the result of what happened. This story is found in three of the Gospels – Matthew, Mark and Luke. Today I am going to focus on the Matthew version.

In the context of Matthew’s gospel, this passage takes place after Jesus was tempted in the desert by Satan in Matthew chapter 4 and right after the sermon on the mount of Matthew chapters 5-7.  

Bible Reading

Matthew 8:1-4
When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” 3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Message Points

We see in verse 1 many people were following Jesus because of His teaching authority (Matthew 7:28-29). Chapter 4 tells us that news of Jesus had spread far and wide and people were following Jesus from the ten towns in the region. This is the context where the Leper comes to Jesus and we see a miracle that not only heals him, but changes his whole life. Today I want to share four thoughts from this passage.

1. The Leper knelt before Jesus

In verse two we see the Leper comes and asks Jesus to heal him. He says, “If you are willing, You can make me clean”. The way he asked was interesting. He used the term “Lord” while he was kneeling. The original Greek word (pros-koo-neh’-o) used in the text for kneeling can mean knelt and worshipped or bowed down before. The Leper knew Jesus was someone so special that he knelt before Him and worshipped Him. He understood His power and His Lordship. It was not a casual asking for healing, it was a considered, reverent request. He knew Jesus could heal him and his kneeling position showed he worshipped Him.

2. Jesus was willing to heal the man

The Leper asked if Jesus was willing to heal him. Verse 3 says, “Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared”. Jesus decided and acted and his leprosy was gone in an instant. It was a true miracle. We see that a large part of Jesus’ ministry was healing. In Matthew 4:23 we see that Jesus had already been preaching, teaching and healing throughout the region. And further on in chapters 8 & 9 we see Jesus heals the officials servant, “many” people, a paralysed man, two blind men, and a woman was healed by touching His cloak. We see wherever Jesus went, He willingly healed them all.

3. Jesus actually touched the man

In the time when Jesus walked the earth, most would have done anything to avoid a person with leprosy. They would have been scared they would catch it. For the religious Jew they would have been worried about being ceremonially unclean on top of getting sick. This would mean being excluded from the Temple, the Synagogue and community life. This did not worry Jesus because when Jesus touches something, it cannot affect Him and it cannot stay unclean for long. The Bible tells us the man was instantly healed at the touch of Jesus. 

4. Jesus restored the man’s family and community life

The man with leprosy would have to live an isolated life outside the city in a leper colony. If he came in to town he would need to cover his body and mouth, walk in a crouched way, and shout unclean, unclean, unclean. If he did not do this he could be stoned to death by law. By healing the man Jesus allowed him to return to his family, his work, the Temple and/or Synagogue. That is why Jesus told him to show himself to the Priest. A Priest declared someone unclean and on rare occasions, declared them clean again (Leviticus 14:1-32). In healing the man, Jesus not only restored his body, but he restored him to his life. It was way more than just a healing.

Closing summary

Today we looked at the wonderful story of Jesus and His healing of the leper. Not only did Jesus instantly perform a miraculous healing, but He restored his whole life when He made him clean. Jesus did not treat the man as an outcast, but touched him and gave him back his life back. He could return to his family, his work and his community of faith. 

If you need a touch from Jesus today, I would encourage you to kneel before Him and ask for your miracle. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He healed people wherever He went, today He still heals people who call out to Him in reverant prayer. Why not call on Him today?

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, I come before You now on my knees. I believe You are the eternal King of the universe. You healed people wherever You went during Your earthly ministry. I believe You are the same yesterday, today and forever and nothing is impossible for You. I ask that You will place Your healing hand on me right now. Heal my body, heal my mind and heal my soul. I ask in Your name, Amen.

Christmas means so many different things to different people. To some it is time for a break from work after a busy year. For others it is a time to celebrate with family and friends and exchange gifts. While for others it is a time to stop and celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus.

For me as a Christian it is a combination of the three. It is a time for a break, a time to exchange gifts with family and a time to remember the baby Jesus – His birth and what it means to me.

Today I want to share three reasons why Jesus was born at Christmas. Not three reasons why He was born on December 25th, but three reasons why He was born… why He came to us.

Jesus was born at Christmas to show God is not far off and distant

Some people I speak to think that God is far off and distant. They believe He is a creator who made this world, set it in place and watches from a distance. He is at arms-length and only takes a passing interest. They think there is no way that He is involved or intervenes in our world or lives.

If we look at the Bible we see this idea is far from a reality. We see that since the creation of the world God has been intimately involved. In Genesis we see that God walked with Adam in the cool of the evening in the garden. We see God gave Moses commandments on how we should live and relate to God and each other. We see God intervened by parting the Red Sea when His people we certain to die. God even sent prophets when His people were off track and needed to be brought back to Him. We see that there was Angelic visitations record in the Bible. God announced that Mary would become pregnant with Jesus and when Jesus was born Angels appeared again.

All these things point to a God who is not far off and distant. But the most important one of all is the birth of the baby Jesus. Jesus left the glories of heaven, the perfection of heaven to be born amongst us. He didn’t come as a mighty King, He came as a humble baby born in a stable. Our carols that we sing use the word Immanuel. This means God is with us. The baby Jesus was God wrapped in skin. Nothing is more vulnerable than a new born baby. This is how Jesus came to show us what God is like. Not far off and distant, but close up and personal.

Jesus was born at Christmas to show God is for all people

One of the things I love about Jesus is that He is a Saviour for all people. In the Bible we see that He spent time with and reached out to people of all backgrounds and nationalities. This is especially interesting because at the time Jesus walked the earth, many people only spent time with people from their own people group. They did not mix with others because in many cases they thought they were unclean.

Here are a few examples of the different groups of people Jesus spent time with -The Sadducees (Matthew 22:23), the Pharisees (Matthew 12:2-6), the Herodians (Matthew 22:15-22), the Romans (Luke 7:2), the Zealots (Luke 6:15), and the Samaritans (John 4:39-42).

Combine this with Jesus spending time with other social outcasts of the day like tax collectors, prostitutes and lepers shows that Jesus was a Saviour for all people. He didn’t discriminate. He just genuinely loved and cared for people, no matter whom they were or what they had done.

Jesus was born at Christmas to show that He was a Saviour for all people. He doesn’t belong to one ethnic group, one social class of people or one period of time. He is the timeless Christmas gift – for all people, for all time.

Jesus was born at Christmas to save us

The ultimate reason why Jesus was born at Christmas was to save us. The Bible tells us in Luke 19:10 that Jesus came to seek and save the lost. And in Matthew 1:21 it says,, “And she will have a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save people from their sins”.

The Bible tells us that salvation is found in Jesus Christ. John 14:6 says, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. This verse tells us that Jesus is the way to the Father. The Bible also tells us in Acts 4:12 that there is no other way to find salvation. Salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone.

It was in that moment that I realised that God loved me so much that He sent Jesus into the world to save me. It began a journey where I came to the point over the next year of finding faith in Christ. My life took on a whole perspective and a whole new meaning. I didn’t feel alone in a crowd anymore. The hole inside me was filled. I realised I had a God shaped hole that could only be filled by Jesus. My life changed from being all about me, to serving God by serving others.

The good news is Jesus came for you too. God moved heaven and earth for you. He loves you and cares for you with a love that stretches out from eternity. It is a love that pierces the darkness of this world and reaches its hand out to you. Today before I hand you back over to the music team, I want to say that God loves you, He is not far off and distant, He is for you and He wants to be a part of your life.

Conclusion

Jesus was born at Christmas time to show you that God is far off and distant, that God is for all people including you and I, and that Jesus’ ultimate reason for coming at Christmas is to save us so we can spend eternity with Him.

Please visit our Finding Salvation page for more information.